What I Eat in a Day for Weight Loss

- Summer Edition -

I need to write a disclaimer that I'm not a nutritionist, but this is a typical day of eating for me. I follow a flexible diet, which means I eat nutritious foods mixed with whatever sounds good to me that day. I love to eat, and this works because I never feel deprived. There's no "giving up" on my diet. If I eat some junk food, I don't beat myself up over it. I just move on and make sure I'm eating something nutritious and within my daily calories for the next meal. Remember that overall calories matter the most! If you are eating all super-clean foods, but consuming too many calories for your body, you are going to gain weight.

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Linking my sunglasses!

Let's start with breakfast. I almost always skip breakfast. I don't feel hungry yet, and I would rather save my calories for a more filling lunch. I will usually have 2 cups of coffee. I do add a couple teaspoons of sugar and a splash of skim milk.

At the moment, lunch is my favorite meal of the day. Since I haven't eaten yet, I'm usually super hungry and ready for something tasty. A tip I can give you about lunch is to have a plan. When I don't have something prepared, (or at least in mind), I usually black out and eat random things all throughout the kitchen.

Eat foods you like, just find ways to make them healthier and lower the calories. I love sandwiches, but they can be dangerous. A "healthy turkey sandwich" can quickly reach 500-800 calories if you're using huge bread slices, tons of cheese, and mayo.

• I always buy 60-calorie-a-slice bread, or 90-calorie Flat Out wraps.
• I only use the serving size amount for my meat. (turkey breast or pre cooked chicken breast)
• Buy the thin-sliced cheese, and only use 1 slice!
• Check the calories on your condiments! These are calories people overlook. I either use light mayo, or mustard. (mustard is 0 calories!)
• I also love chips, but they add up quickly and it's hard to stop. My suggestion is to use only half the serving size. Place 5-6 chips on your plate, re-seal the bag, and make sure it's out of sight.
• Fill up the rest of your plate with low calorie fillers. I use veggies like cucumber, carrots, peppers, and pickles. Also feel free to stack the veggies high on your sandwich! They are very low in calories and extremely high in nutrients.
• Not a popular opinion, but watch the fruit you consume! Do your research and learn the calories-per-amount of different fruits. Strawberries are my go-to. They are delicious and only about 5 calories each!

There's a healthy lunch that's filling, and can be within your calorie targets.

I usually get a sweet tooth in the afternoon, so I try to have something decently healthy on hand. Lara bars are made with minimal ingredients, and taste great! This "peanut butter chocolate chip" flavor has only 4 ingredients: dates, peanuts, chocolate chips, and sea salt. All the flavors are around 200 calories. 

I find it pretty difficult to get my recommended intake of daily water. Flavoring my water has helped me so much the last few years. Don't drink your calories! (At least throughout the week. Haha!) I love these Crystal Light packets. They are sugar-free and only 5 calories. They taste so good. I've tried the generic brands and they get chunky at the bottom, so just get the actual brand name version! This flavor is my favorite!

Mexican-style dinner is one of my favorite ways to eat healthy. I could eat at Chipotle every single day. The key to this, like any other meal, is knowledge of the serving sizes and calories.

• Start with a lean source of meat. I either use ground turkey or shredded chicken breast (I use a 59 cent taco seasoning for Kroger.)
• I usually just skip the rice. It doesn't add any flavor, and just adds calories.
• To bulk up my bowl, I love fajita style peppers and onion.
• Also, black beans are great and so good for you.

Now is where it can get fattening.

• Do not load up your bowl with cheese and sour cream! If you have to measure it out every time, do it. If you are using too much of these, you are ruining your weight loss efforts.
• Final toppings like lettuce and salsa are fine to add as much as you like.
• I'm a huge guac lover, and it's a healthy fat, but still adds tons of calories. I try to stick to a spoonful, and my bowl is ready!

 This is what a typical weekday would look like for me. Friday night through Sunday looks a little different, and I have to be more flexible. If you guys are interested, I could do a post showing my entire weekend of food and drinks (including eating out)! Let me know in the comments!